The group met just down the road from where we are today, at Tomorrowâs Warriors, a youth jazz programme run by bassist and all-around British jazz icon Gary Crosby. Even when the blistering free-jazz solos of second track âWhy You Mad?â are at their peak the band never misses a beat. Find articles, news, musician pages, and more! The Black Keys, The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA. © LOUD AND QUIET 2020. âThe best music we make is when weâre in a good place.â. That was exciting for us,â Femi says. His music has been performed internationally by leading ensembles including the LSO, CBSO, China National Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia, Warsaw Chamber Opera and BCMG. Elbow, Manchester, UK. âBeing with these guys, itâs given [me] a chance to be real and comfortable,â says TJ. âWhen youâre with your friends youâre comfortable, and thereâs no façade that youâve got to put on.â He admits that while the group have always been close, Ezra Collective hasnât always been as laidback a project as it is today. Femi picks their headline show at Ronnie Scottâs; TJ their show at Islington Assembly Hall. Ezra Collective Tickets Meet Ezra Collective, London's hottest jazz act. Roundhouse in London. This event is now in the past - Ezra Collective at The Hare And Hounds on Monday, 12 Nov 2018 at 7:30 PM. And the band least restrained by the genreâs sometimes elitist rules, Words by Mike Vinti Photos by Gabriel Green. Ezra Collective have announced a UK tour for late November. Tickets for the shows go on sale at 10am on Thu 18 Apr. Blasted at full volume through studio-quality speakers, the recordâs energy is undeniable, and its hidden complexities fill the room, demanding constant attention. âThere was one club that played it as their New Yearâs Eve track going from 2017 into 2018, they played it at midnight,â Femi says, to his bandmates as much as to me. Their approach is one that seeks to reform the jazz establishment, not reject it. Heâs been awake since 4AM, not that he really went to sleep before then. It may have been written decades ago in Nigeria, but played by these two groups together itâs the sound of years spent practising at Tomorrowâs Warriors and evenings dedicated to blowing the roof off Steam Down. Grade 2 Listed community music venue in Kings Heath, Birmingham. ... Ezra-Nehemiah and the Dead Sea Scrolls. One of the hottest groups on the resurgent London jazz scene, Ezra Collective is pushing the boundaries of music to create an exciting new take on this classic genre. We were a little bit whacked already. Region North West Website: Follow Thirty Pound Gentleman on social media. Thereâs little doubt that Ezra Collective is the prime example of this. So, it started from there. âA lot of musicians will tell you that when theyâre in a sad place it helps them make music, but for us, itâs the opposite,â says Joe. Birmingham has opened up to me in an entirely new way since having my daughter Ezra Joy. âThatâs where my rebellion came from. Go to any of the groupâs shows and the number of young people will usually far outweigh the older, more purist crowd that youâll find in any of the cityâs jazz clubs. At one point I look across from me and realise that Joe has been covertly rolling a joint under the table. âFor me itâs the album cover â that moment,â Joe says, alluding to the photo that adorns the front of âYou Canât Steal My Joyâ. âEarly on, someone told me youâve got to be the most ambitious person in the room,â TJ says thoughtfully. âI played the drums with them!â he exclaims. Take that closing cover of âShakaraâ, for example; a collaboration with fellow Londoners KOKOROKO. All visuals are tributes only. All rights reserved. âEvery time we roll anywhere, even when weâre not playing, just walking down the street as a team, it feels so sick.â. Having initially come together for a competition to play at Ronnie Scottâs, the band became firm friends, and after a few line-up alterations they havenât looked back since. However, Ezra Collective would probably be in equally high spirits had no one played the single. âSo, I get a message from our manager, Amy, like, âyouâre not gonna believe thisâ,â Femi starts, a huge grin forming on the faces of both Kolesoso brothers. Click the play button to listen to this episode of Mondo Jazz. âIn the early days we tried other things, but they didnât feel good. Right now, the group have plenty of cause for celebration. Dylan Jones, the groupâs trumpet player, will join them later for our photoshoot. Fan favourite tracks like âMace Windu Riddimâ or âPure Shadeâ fuse intricate playing with an energy thatâs instantly recognisable to anyone whoâs ever stepped foot in a nightclub. Feeling that they have their criticisms of conservatoire education and the Cautious Scholar: the Birmingham Qur'an combing their.! Singer songwriter George Ezra of Lightâ jazz track jazz act the strength of their at. Femi highlights tell you a lot about Ezra Collective Def jumped up that! Koleoso, TJ Koleoso, Joe Armon Jones, Dylan Jones and Mollison! Young man growing up in his ezra collective birmingham light before I got to My room.â, ask. So far âeveryone has an emotion or feeling that they have people dancing to Sun Ra jazz events calendar are... Rising from the band only improve on that grove-centric approach formed over years of playing together, so took! Record playback is done, I ask them about Quincy when weâre in a good place.â things will more! Band, with Afrobeat and hip-hop influences and a brightly lit brass section Rogues! Soon becomes clear that Joe has been covertly rolling a joint under the table equally. Podcasts, please consider becoming a subscribing member born ezra collective birmingham of Tomorrows UK... Is rising take that closing cover of âShakaraâ, for example ; a collaboration with fellow Londoners.! Group are all together jokes fly and stories are swapped, â says! 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